ROSE FAMILY JOURNAL

Whether you live in Las Vegas or you are using Las Vegas as the launch pad for your trip (great idea!), there is a load of destinations within a four hour driving radius to have a wonderful two or three day excursion. As a duo of 9-5ers, we have made the most of our weekends and explored a lot of different places within driving distance. I am excited to share a few of my favorites, like St. George, Utah. 

Curious about more weekend road trip ideas? Check out the Rose Family picks for a good weekend trip to:
Joshua Tree, California
Death Valley, California
Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Without further ado, let’s dive in! 

St. George, Utah
Heading to the main canyon of Zion National Park is always a great plan. There are so many guides and trip planners for Zion, and you should check those out if you have never been. However, if you’re looking for Zion National Park views with smaller crowds, here is where you should go: 

Hikes

Head to the Kolob Canyon entrance of Zion National Park for a day. Two of my picks for hikes include: Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail (a 4.9 mile out and back trail with little elevation gain) and Timber Creek Overlook Trail (a1.1 mile out and back trail, also with little elevation gain). The Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail shares beautiful views that get close to massive red rock cliffs and follows along the creek. The Timber Creek Overlook is simply stunning, and really gives you all of the joy and awe of the Zion Canyon with a far smaller crowd. The drive between the two hikes is also considered a scenic drive, and there are plenty of parking areas to stop and enjoy the view. 

Spend another day in St. George or a few hours at Snow Canyon State Park. There are so many trails for whatever distance you’re looking to do. There is a large area where you can explore around and choose your own adventure on the red rock hills too!

Restaurants

Gaia’s Garden Cafe: We had dinner and lattes from this restaurant and truly enjoyed everything we had.

FeelLove Coffee: After checking out this coffee shop on our way out of Zion one day, a stop at FeelLove Coffee has become obligatory for us on a trip to St. George, Utah. We enjoy the coffee and the breakfast burritos (or bowl). 

Places to sleep

Our favorite place to sleep outside of the main campgrounds of Zion National Park, is to go backcountry camping in the Southwest Desert region of Zion. We have stayed at Site #2 and Site #3, and these two are my picks for best views at the campsite. We have not gone backpacking along the La Verkin trail, but this is in our plans to do so soon! If car camping inside Zion National Park is your goal, try to reserve a spot at Watchman instead of South. 

If you are a backpacker, getting a reservation through Zion National Park is usually not difficult for the Southwest Desert. You do need to go to the main entrance and visitor’s center to pick up your pass before you head out. 

We have stayed at Comfort Inn Suites in St. George, Utah for one trip. It was a pleasant experience, good location for hopping onto the highway, and close to a FeelLove Coffee!